Family holidays

Family holidays

Families often go on holiday during the school holidays. But regardless of whether you head to the beach, into the mountains or to an exotic faraway place, it's important to be well prepared, especially when taking along children.

Holidays are meant for everyone to relax and have fun. It's therefore all the more important to plan them carefully so that everyone will get their rightful share. When choosing a destination, it makes good sense to inform yourself about what activities are suitable for children. If there are young children, we recommend not planning any long trips but staying put at a particular place, because it's often hard for them to adjust to frequent changes of location. And children are generally more prone to catching infectious diseases in a foreign environment than adults.

Proper vaccination

Getting sick while on holiday not only spoils the fun but may also be dangerous, depending on the illness. We therefore urge you to make sure that your children are vaccinated as recommend in the Swiss Vaccination Plan, and to close any gaps you may notice in the schedule. Depending on the destination, and especially in tropical countries where there are many infectious diseases, we recommend that adults and children get specific vaccinations. You should therefore ask your doctor or paediatrician in good time, or get information from www.healthytravel.ch.

What belongs in your travel first-aid kit

Babies and toddlers may react to a new environment, unaccustomed food, or different climate by developing a fever or diarrhoea. And there is always the risk of children getting injured while romping around. Having a well-equipped travel first-aid kit may thus save you from having to look for a pharmacy while away, and including it is an essential step when preparing for your trip. In addition to the common medicines, it should also have items that are specific to the country where you're heading, and you should therefore ask about what you are most likely to need while there.

Be sure to pack the following, especially for children:

  • Thermometer and suppositories to reduce fever
  • Medication against diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting
  • Sterile eye and ear drops
  • Nose spray with saline solution
  • Cough syrup for children
  • Disinfectant and ointment
  • Sunscreen with a high protection factor
  • Insect repellent
  • Band aids, bandages and gauze pads
  • Tweezers, nail scissors and scissors


Finally, check the expiration dates of all medicines whenever you leave on a trip.

VACANZA – SWICA's travel insurance for worldwide protection

In the event of illness or accident abroad, VACANZA supplementary insurance offers optimum cover around the globe. SWICA offers you worldwide financial protection and pays for medical treatment and any rescue and repatriation costs. You can find out more here.

27.07.2022

In the event of further health-related questions, SWICA customers can contact the santé24 telemedicine service free of charge on +41 44 404 86 86. A telemedicine practice licence allows santé24 physicians to provide additional medical services in cases that are suited to a telemedicine approach. SWICA customers can also use the BENECURA medical app to carry out a digital SymptomCheck and receive recommendations about what to do next. During a subsequent phone call with santé24, customers can decide for themselves whether to release their information from SymptomCheck to santé24.